Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

                                                           Bean there!

Now, we’re back home, and I'm missing Nicole and Kepler . . . and I’ve still got nursery rhymes on the brain.   It’s nowhere near as cold as Chicago, but it snowed yesterday and it's snowing this morning -- great, fat flakes.

                            The book I’m reading fits right in.  J 

We had a lovely evening last night.  Bryan made an early 20^th century cocktail called Bamboo and we also came up with a good dinner menu:

Marta Pisetska Farley’s BEEF TONGUE with Garlic Mayonnaise

Nigella’s Green beans with Pistachio Pesto

Nigella’s Gnocchi Gratin

and, best of all,

NIGELLA’S EGGPLANT

        From:  Chatelaine Magazine, March 2013

2 small to medium eggplants (or 4 baby eggplants, if you can find them)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

½ small red onion, thinly sliced (Nigella calls for whole onion, but it's too much)

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp coarse salt

¼ cup olive oil

4 ½ tsp cold water

1 garlic clove, minced

1.      Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2.     Slice eggplants into 1 inch thick pieces lengthwise .  (Just cut baby eggplants in half lengthwise.)

3.     Combine olive oil with dried oregano in a baking sheet.

4.     Rub one cut side of eggplants in oil.  Then set them in the pan oiled side up.

5.     Bake for 20 minutes until tender.

6.     Combine onion, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl.  Let stand 10 min.

7.     Remove onion.  Whisk oil and water into vinegar.  Add garlic.  Return onions

8.     Transfer eggplants to a serving platter.  Pour onion dressing over eggplant.

9.     Serve immediately or,  Nigella's way,  at room temperature.   Or reheat.